Improvement in corpse-coolers



J. FLAHERTY. Corpse-Cooler.

No. 203,024. Patented April 30,1878.

l il@ N. PETERS, PntTD-UTHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FLAHERTY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORPSE-COOLERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent, No. 203,024, dated April 30,1878; application lcd April 3, 187s.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FLAHERTY, of Memphis, in the county of Shelbyand State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Freezing Gaskets 5 and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse it,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in caskets for preserving deadbodies; and it consists, first, in making a drawer in the bottom of acasket, which can be drawn out for the purpose of refilling it with icewithout disturbing the body; and, second, in the peculiar constructionof the head-piece, in which ice is placed, and from which the waterruns, as the ice melts, into the drawer below, aswill be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

A represents a casket, of any desired shape, size, or construction, andwhich is preferably given the shape of a coffin, as herein shown. Insideof this casket, at a suitable distance above the bottom, is made theflange C, upon which the support B for the body rests, said supportbeing covered with wire-gauze, or any other suitably-perforatedmaterial, so as to let the cold from the ice pass freely through itaround the body placed on top.

Through one end of this casket is made a suitable opening, and throughthis opening is passed the ice-drawer D, which is nearly as long as thecasket, and which is kept in position by means of the guides H. As fastas the ice melts in this drawer the water runs out through the pipe Ginto any suitable receptacle prepared for it.

By thus making a flange around the inside of the casket to support thebody upon, the drawer may be moved in and out without disturbing thebody in the slightest degree, whenever it is necessary to put more iceinto the drawer.

In order to preserve the head and features free from all discolorationand decay, I surround the head with a metallic ice-box, L, which justlits inside the head of the casket, and which has a large circularrecess formed upon its inner edge, so that it will almost or entirelysurround the head. In this circular recess made in the ice-box I placeahead-rest, N, which consists of a senricircular metallic vessel, muchthicker at one edge than the other. As the water melts in the ice-box Lit passes through the small pipe O in its side into this head-rest, andfrom the head-rest it passes through the small pipe B into the icetroughbelow. By thus having ice around the sides of the head and a body ofcold water constantly owing through the rest under the head, thefeatures of the corpse will be preserved unchanged for days.

This casket may be used for preserving the bodies simply until the timefor interment, or may be used for transporting them to any desireddistance upon the cars.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a freezing-casket forpreserving dead bodies, the combination of the casket A, pro vided withthe drawer D, ice-box L, and headrest N, whereby the water from the boxL is caused to run through the rest N and pipe R into the drawer Dbelow, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the head-rest N with the icechamber L, the twobeing connected together so that the water from the melting ice runsthrough the rest N, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this25th day of March, 1878.

J AME S FLAHERTY. Witnesses JNO. J. SHEA, G. A. GUsrAFsoN.

